New Interfaces for Zelda: Skyward Sword

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Hate that ridiculous Wii remote graphic on your screen? So do we.

By Richard George

If you're anything like me, you hate the obnoxious Heads Up Display (HUD) that Nintendo has been using for The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. You can see it in most of the screenshots that have been released for the game so far. On the right side of the screen, a full graphic of the Wii remote is displayed, complete with full instructions for controlling Link and his actions.

That sort of information is no doubt useful for the opening moments of the adventure, but the developers take a great deal of time in educating players about Skyward Sword's controls through tutorials and in-game missions. After 15 minutes, there's very little reason to keep beating people over the head with a graphic that clutters the screen and takes away from the overall presentation of the game.

Fortunately Nintendo realized this, and is offering players a solution - you can turn the HUD off. In Skyward Sword's options/inventory screens, three options for the HUD are presented - Standard, Light and Pro.

"Standard" keeps the game's presentation very similar to what you've seen in screenshots. A full picture of the Wii remote is displayed along with labels for controls so you can quickly reference what buttons will perform what commmands.

"Light" strips away the remote graphic while still retaining some contextual button information. Curious if Fi has something to tell you? This option will still visually alert you to that, by highlighting her face on a graphic of the D-pad, which is still presented on screen.

"Pro" is what I settled on using, and it cleans up Skyward Sword's screen considerably. While basic information - health, shield strength, rupees and stamina - is still displayed in the upper left portion of the screen, everything to the right is removed. The result is an experience that is far cleaner and more cinematic than before.

The ability to alter the HUD might seem like a small option, but it's great to see Nintendo considering different gamers' play styles. Factoring in the more strategic nature of gameplay as well as Skyward Sword's more intense difficulty, this is one Zelda adventure hardcore fans won't want to miss.

Got questions? In a few weeks Audrey and I will be gathering as many as we can and answering them in some huge mailbag installments. Send your questions and thoughts to nintendo@ign.com and we'll get to them if we can.